CATALYST is a consortium of five equal partners that complement each other’s capabilities and create synergies that enable the project to fulfill its mission.

The Academy for Educational Development (AED) is known domestically and internationally for its work in the areas of formal and non-formal education, training, and human resources development, and is a recognized leader in behavior change communication (BCC) and social marketing.  AED focuses on the application of behavioral research and communication methodologies for interventions in health, nutrition, family planning, STI/HIV prevention, environmental education and programs for adolescents.  Community participation is a major strategy used by AED to promote behavior change as well as program sustainability.  AED also works to increase the capacity for informed decision-making among clients and communities by effectively addressing cultural barriers to healthy practices by utilizing community participation, mass media, and social marketing approaches.  This strategy improves community awareness, increases dialogue between partners, and increases knowledge about healthy FP/RH practices.

CEDPA's mission is to empower women at all levels of society to be full partners in development.  CEDPA's strategies for empowerment include building the capacities of development institutions and networks, mobilizing women’s participation at the policy level, linking FP/RH services and women’s empowerment, and making youth an integral part of the development agenda.  CEDPA works with a global network of over 5,000 alumni and 134 partner organizations in the population and development sectors worldwide and has broad experience in the delivery of community-based FP/RH services linked with other women’s development initiatives to increase the status of women.  In addition, the organization has extensive expertise in training, capacity building of NGOs and community based networks, provision of RH services to adolescents and young adults, and working collaboratively with local and international organizations as well as donor agencies.

Meridian Group International, Inc., a woman-owned small business, works with the commercial sector and creates innovative public-private partnerships.  The agency has particular expertise in the introduction of products into markets and influencing commercial companies to collaborate with the non-profit and public sectors.  The director of Meridian pioneered collaborative private-public sector partnerships with organizations such as Schering, Wyeth, Organon, Pharmacia & UpJohn, and Gedeon Richter.  Meridian has also spearheaded innovative commercial partnerships in the important emerging area of corporate social responsibility, helping a wide range of businesses incorporate FP/RH into their workplace code of ethics as well as their community outreach programs.  Meridian ’s expertise of creating partnerships encompasses work with social marketing programs, private sector health insurance, service provider networks and business building activities related to micro enterprise development programs.

Pathfinder International’s experience designing, managing and monitoring large projects spans four decades and three continents.  The organization’s particular expertise lies in the broad areas of service delivery, including community-based and clinical services, in urban and rural settings, and through private/public sectors.  Pathfinder works with local community groups to design programs that are client-centered to improve access and quality of services, and to develop systems to ensure adequate supplies of contraceptives.  The organization also pioneered the concept of bringing FP services to clients with its community-based distribution (CBD) programs.  In some countries CBD has been linked with income generation activities and community development initiatives.  Pathfinder also has extensive experience in scaling-up FP/RH services to increase the number of people served and expand geographic coverage and links with other groups.  Pathfinder also works with a special focus on the needs of young people.

PROFAMILIA/Colombia is the major provider of FP/RH services in Colombia and is a recognized global leader for its clinical, outreach, adolescent and male programs.  The agency has proven to be highly successful in the area of sustainability, demonstrating the need for efficiency, high-quality gender sensitive services, and expertly managed diversified programs to reach greater self-reliance.  PROFAMILIA has extensive experience in south-to-south collaboration, through which it provides short-term technical assistance in a variety of FP/RH areas, to both governmental and non-governmental institutions.  PROFAMILIA also has extensive experience with health sector reform in Colombia both at the policy and implementation level. Lessons learned while assisting the Colombian government design legislation for health sector reform, as well as knowledge on how to improve NGO involvement and create partnerships among all sectors, are invaluable in ensuring the right to FP/RH services.